Protecting the environment with intelligence

Updated map shows no let-up in illegal pangolin trade

16th February, 2017

Saturday, February 18 is World Pangolin Day and EIA has updated its interactive map of known pangolin seizures to both mark the occasion and as a reminder of the many threats this unique creature faces.

.

.

Despite increased international awareness about the plight of pangolins, exemplified by the recent CITES uplisting to Appendix I for all eight species, there seems to have been little to no let-up in the extent and scale of the trade in their meat and scales.

Our updated map shows the sheer scale of pangolins illegally trafficked around the world in the past 16 years, highlighting seizure incidents from 2000-17 including recent multi-tonne pangolin scale seizures and the general increase in seizures of pangolin scales originating from Africa and key border crossings, ports and countries where there has been a significant reporting of trade in pangolins.

In 2007, large-scale ivory consignments (500kg or more) were cited by TRAFFIC as indicative of the involvement of organised crime operations. The level of coordination required to procure and consolidate poached pangolins for bulk, rapid export suggests organised criminal activity is dominant within pangolin trade flows, including potential links between traffickers based in western and eastern Africa and with groups in Asia.

Please take a moment to explore EIA’s interactive pangolin seizures map and see for yourself the extent of the illegal trade in this amazing but threatened animal.

EIA on Facebook

Experts say South Africa's first ever legal auction of rhinoceros horn will enrich few, and is likely to speed the road to extinction for one of the world's most endangered species. The auction takes place on Monday.

"This sale of rhino horn is inexcusable," said Dr Joseph Okori, Director for Southern Africa of the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW), a world expert on rhino conservation. "It is a sale based entirely on the greed of one man; plays into the hands of poachers and illegal wildlife traders; and ignores the fact that more than 7,000 rhinos have been brutally killed for their horns in less than 10 years, while countless brave rangers have also died trying to protect rhinoceros."

The horn will be auctioned online from Monday, 21st August by Van's Auctions, and comes from the stockpiles of South Africa's biggest private rhino breeder John Hume. Hume owns about 1,500 rhinoceros and has, for some years, been non-lethally harvesting horns from his rhinoceros with the stated view of selling it for profit. The total amount of horn for sale has not been announced.

The auction has been advertised online, in English, Chinese and Vietnamese versions. The main markets for trafficked rhino horn are Vietnam and China, where the horn is believed fictitiously to have medicinal properties.

--------------------------------------------------* Learn more about tehe threats faced by snow leopards in EIA's interactive maps of illegal trade seizures of tigers and other Asian big cats at ht.ly/V24i30etCkD--------------------------------------------------

On the infrastructure front, issues of cross-ministerial coordination, formulation and enforcement of guidelines and regulations, among other things, will be discussed.

On the research front, knowledge gap on status and population of snow leopards will be discussed. Similarly, Nepal will call for strong wildlife legislation across range countries to develop strong deterrents against illegal trapping, snaring and trade in snow leopard parts. Likewise, it will emphasise on community-based approach and local institutions within and around snow leopard habitats to implement conservation.

The governments of China, the United States and Mexico will participate in the First Trilateral Meeting to combat traffic and demand of totoaba fish, whose illegal catch with gill nets has on the brink of extinction the vaquita porpoise - only 30 individuals are believed to remain.

--------------------------------------------------------------FIND out more about this issue:

The meeting, which will take place from August 23-25 in Ensenada, Baja California, will be attended by more than 40 officials and authorities from the areas of environment, fisheries, customs, trade, justice and national security, with the objective of coordinating capacities to implement a shared strategy.

Mexico hopes to finalise a Memorandum of Understanding to formalise collaboration in the operational areas of inspection and surveillance between the three countries.

The agreed agenda for this first meeting includes aspects related to the exchange of information on the modus operandi of the totoaba fish traffic, illegal shipments, seizures, assurances and investigations in progress.